The all-ages show begins at 8 p.m., tickets are $8 and available here. Attendees are asked to bring canned non-perishable food items to donate to Philabundance. Below, watch The Districts paying tribute to Reed at a recent festival with a cover of “I’m Waiting For The Man” by The Velvet Underground.

September Call-Up set the mood right with “Angel in the Snow”; Angel Ocana got choked up on “Rose Parade”; and the crowd adding the “Because I love you” line to Burned Out Still Glowing’s stripped-down version of “Kings Crossing.” Last night local blog, Tri State Indie, hosted a beautiful but modest tribute to the late singer/songwriter Elliott Smith at the World Cafe Live. Despite his tragic story, the performance was filled with a pleasant sweetness knowing that everyone in the room was there for the same reason – their intimate connection to Smith’s music. Read up on why the handful artists wanted to be part of the tribute here. Check out a photo recap of the show below.

I remember hearing Elliott Smith for the first time. It was the summer before my sophomore year of college. I just got through a semester long training for my school’s radio station, and having converted from my thrash punk stage to the more down-to-earth genre of indie rock only six months before, I excitedly asked my friends for suggestions to play on my upcoming show.

One handed me a mix CD of her favorites, and on there was a two-minute song that instantly tugged at my chest. A spidery whisper singing “I’m in love with the world through the eyes of a girl…” and checking the handmade lined-paper CD case, I fell in love with “Say Yes” and the haunting delicacy of Elliott Smith.

Although a little skeptical of tribute shows in general, I knew this was going to be the closest I would get to actually seeing Smith live. I bought a ticket and checked out the all-local line-up. But as I listened though YouTube videos and looked at band websites, I started to wonder why each of the eclectic artists wanted to be part of such a tribute. Is it that their sound was similar to Smith’s? Or is there a deeper connection that pulled them to this performance? Continue reading →

It’s a big night for local music – Tri State Indie will hold their second annual awards show at World Cafe Live, hosted by Toy Soldiers‘ Ron Gallo. With performances by New Sweden (last year’s Delaware Indie Band of the Year), Cold Fronts and more, the event includes a red carpet walk with professional photographers and gift bag for all attendees. Check out a list of all the nominees here. Tickets and information can be found here. Below, watch Band of the Year hopefuls Toy Soldiers perform “Tell the Teller” / “Forget How it Used to Be” at World Cafe Live.

Attention aficionados of Philly music: two local polls beckon your opinions. The Deli Philadelphia‘s readers poll for emerging artist of 2012 is open through January 28th; you can cast your vote with them over here. And voting for Tri State Indie‘s 2013 Music Awards runs until midnight on February 11th; cast your ballot in that poll here. We were excited to be part of the nominating committees for both polls this year, and are looking forward to the results – and TSI’s gala at World Cafe Live on February 17th.

Celebrate the-maybe-last-night on Earth with Juston Stens and the Get Real Gang tonight at Kung Fu Necktie! In case all of this apocalyptic nonsense turns out not to be true, though, get pumped for Stens and his crew’s upcoming Key Session in 2013. The NJ nostalgia-rock group, fronted by Juston “Turbo” Stens formerly of Dr. Dog, released their album, Trash or Treasure, last March (pick it up on their Bandcamp page here). Tonight’s 21+ show starts at 7:30; go here for tickets and information. Below, watch Juston Stens and the Get Real Gang’s cover of Paul McCartney’s “Let Me Roll It.”

West Philly quartet HighKick are bringing their rockabilly sound to World Cafe Live tonight in preparation for the release of their new demo. The band’s honest lyrics and steady Americana rhythms make their 2010 album, Paints a House, a must-hear for any fan of DIY roots music, and can be streamed here. Tickets for tonight’s all-ages show are available on our concert calendar here; doors open at 7 p.m. Below, watch a video profile on HighKick from 6ABC.

Continuing to tour in support of their summer 2012 release Safe Travels, Jukebox the Ghost today announced a new string of winter / spring tour dates that lands them at Union Transfer on the ides of March. It’s their biggest headlining appearance in Philly to date, and tickets go on sale this Friday, November 30, at noon via the venue’s website. It’s probably a safe guess that we’re not the only folks in the Philly music scene that are psyched for this show. Below, check out a video that our friends at Tri-State Indie recently released – an interview with the band at Appel Farm from the summer.

About The Key

Philadelphia: Home to a rich musical history, a unique musical identity, and one of the nation's most thriving musical communities. In a scene filled with so many local bands worth listening to, there will always be new music to discover—and The Key is your source for finding it. Brought to you by WXPN—the non-commercial public radio station that World Cafe, XPN2, and XPoNential Music Festival call home—The Key covers all local music in Greater Philly and beyond.GET IN TOUCH

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About The Key

Philadelphia: Home to a rich musical history, a unique musical identity, and one of the nation's most thriving musical communities. In a scene filled with so many local bands worth listening to, there will always be new music to discover—and The Key is your source for finding it. Brought to you by WXPN—the non-commercial public radio station that World Cafe, XPN2, and XPoNential Music Festival call home—The Key covers all local music in Greater Philly and beyond.GET IN TOUCH